The Ross Sea was discovered by James Ross in the year 1841. It is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica and is considered to be the most pristine marine ecosystem on Earth. The Ross Sea has remained untouched by disturbing human activities like overfishing, pollution, and others.
Environmentalists are lobbying for the approval of two huge sanctuaries in this part of the world, with one in the Ross Sea. The idea is to protect the vast marine ecosystem present here. The region is also known as the ‘Last Ocean’, mainly due to a completely intact marine setup, which isn't found anywhere else in the world anymore.
The proposal has been blocked four times so far at the annual Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) meets. Earlier, many countries including China and Russia had raised doubts about the plan. But recently, China gave a nod to the approval of a restricted zone in the Ross Sea region. Currently, Russia is the only country which has some doubts regarding the plan.
The Southern Ocean is home to some of the most exquisite and diverse species in the world. The actual count of species in the region touches 10,000. These include whales, colossal squids, seals, and penguins, among many others.
The proposal for the approval of two huge sanctuaries, one in the Ross Sea and the other in the East Antarctic region (backed by Australia), have been on the table since 2011. But debates between members have forced several changes and modifications in the original draft.
With China finally backing the proposal, environmentalists have something to smile about. But the path ahead is filled with more challenges, including the one where Russia’s nod is required for the plan to go through. The future and survival of thousands of species depends on these two sanctuaries. Thus it becomes very important that such agendas and propositions receive special attention. Unfortunately though, this particular proposal like any other, is caught up in international debates and fixtures.
(Featured Image Credit: marinesciencetoday.com)
